1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a side outer panel of a vehicle having a mounting portion that supports an outer surface edge with a predetermined curved path to present a styling shape.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Side outer panels of vehicles are made of steel and form the outer covering for the vehicle's side. The side outer panel is not only designed to provide structure and protection to passengers in the event of a collision, but is also designed to be aesthetically pleasing to vehicle owners. Accordingly, side outer panels may be stamped with various styling shapes. However, styling shapes may reduce the structure integrity of the side outer panel, specifically where a styling shape has a curvature that presents a poor surface for spot welding. For instance, certain vehicles have a side outer panel with a curved styling shape that is formed to fittingly receive a rear lamp cover.
In such vehicles, the side outer panel cannot be welded to the vehicle at any point along the curvature as a planar surface must be available for weld spots, as spot welds to curved surfaces will fail over time. Thus, tie side outer panel of these types of vehicles is not welded to a vehicle body structure where the curved styling shape exists. This makes these types of vehicles vulnerable to deformation along the curvature, and weathering as the curvature is not welded to the vehicle body and a gap is maintained between the curved portion of the styling and the vehicle body. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a side outer panel with a welding surface set apart from and integral to a styling shape so as to support various styling shapes while at the same time mitigating the potential of deformation from a predetermined impact by being welded to the vehicle body.